Gauging device



Aug. 4, 1953 w. F. ALLER ETAL GAUGING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 5, 1948" Aug. 4, 1953 W. F. ALLER ET AL GAUGING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 3, 1948 4. 1953 w. F. ALLER ET AL 2,647,627

GAUGING DEVICE Filed Dec. 3, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 l l LJ INVENTORfi Mid/ BY 4 f Z M L Aug. 4, 1953 GAUGING DEVICE Filed Dec. 5, 1948 W. F. ALLER ETAL 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 4- & L 955 m ead /005 Patented Aug. 4, 1953 GAUGING DEVICE Willis Fay Aller and Anthony J. Page, Dayton, Ohio, assignors to The Sheffield Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application December 3, 1948, Serial No. 63,282

5 Claims. 1

the gauging station by means of a conveyor which transports the articles through a number of different stations andwith provision for arresting the article at the proper station in accordance with its size and for removing the articles from the conveyor at the selected station.

Another object is the provision of a gauging rapparatus of the character mentioned in which the gauging means automatically controls a series of different selecting devices so that the proper one is selected, each selecting device causing the op--,v

eration of a stop means which stops the motion Q.

of the article while on the conveyor and during the continued travel of the conveyor.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a gauging apparatus of the character mentioned, having removin means that is operable in timed relation to the movement of a feed device that supplies the articles to the gauging sta tion, such removing means being operable after the forward motion of the articles is stopped at the selected station, to move the articles from the conveyor.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. l is a perspective view of a gauging apparatus embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the upper portion of the gauging apparatus and illustrating the several segregating troughs or receivers;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the gauging apparatus with certain parts broken away or sectioned for purpose of illustration;

Fig. 4 is an end elevational view of the upper portion of the gauging apparatus;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the supply guide, shown on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the supply end of the gauging apparatus;

Fig. '7 is a detailed view showing the conveyor drive; and

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view showing the wiring diagram.

Referring more particularly to the drawing in which the same reference numerals are used in the different views to designate like parts, the gauging apparatus as herein shown comprises a frame structure Ill the lower portion of which contains the essential drive mechanism while the upper portion provides a support for the feeding means, the supplying means, the article conveyor and the segregating means. In the particular form of construction illustrated, the gauging apparatus is designed to gauge the diameter of parts or rods such as piston pins for example, and select the pins in accordance with their diameters into four different groups in the acceptable size range, one additional group for oversize rejects and one additional group for undersize rejects.

The piston pins are placed by the operator in an inclined guide I 2 and roll down the guide until they are stopped by the lip I3, see Fig. 5. The lowermost piston pin is then in line with the gauging station generally designated by the reference numeral l5. The pin is then supplied to the gauging station by means of an automatically operable feed arm l6 which moves from a normal position as shown in Fig. 3 to advance the piston pin endwise into the chamber [1 of the gauging station. During the forward stroke of the feed arm It the upper end of the feed arm blocks the downward travel of the next higher piston pin in the guide l2 but permits that piston pin to move down into a position ready for forward feeding as soon as the feed arm IB is returned to its normal position illustrated.

When the article or piston pin I4 is in the chamber l1 its diameter is gauged, preferably as herein shown by means of a series of gauging switches of the type, for example, as disclosed in the prior application of Aller, Serial No. 660,902, filed April 10, 1946, now abandoned. Said switches are arranged in pairs with each pair controlled by a curved pressure responsive tube, the severa1 tubes being in common communication with a gaugin orifice through which there may be a leakage of fluid supplied under pressure, with the amount of leakage dependent on the distance between the gauging orifice and. the workpiece. In the form illustrated, the gaugin orifice consists of two annular rings I8 separated by an intermediate groove which is in communication with a manifold passage [9 leading to the several pressure responsive tubes that control the switches, so that an average diameter measurement of the object is obtained. The switches are arranged to be closed or opened at different pressures existing in the manifold passage IS in accordance with the particular size range to be selected. As will be presently described, the three pairs of switches employed in the three gauging heads 20, 2| and 22, see Figs. 3 and 6, are arranged to automatically control the operation of any one of the five selecting stops 2t, 25, 26, 2? and 28 through their respective solenoids 2t, 3!], 3|, 32 and 33, suitable holding circuits being provided so that the prop-er stop selected by the gauging operation will be held in its lowered stopping position for a predetermined time after the article is pushed out of the gauging station'by.

the next succeeding article that is supplied to the gauging station.

As the gauged article ismoved out of the gaug ing station it is received on a belt conveyor 35, see

Figs. 3, 4 and 7, and carried rapidly along on the conveyor until it is stopped by any one of the stops 24, 25, 26, 2'1 and 28, and if none of the stops are depressed to stoppin position, it moves on until it reaches a fixed stop or bumper 35. The .speediof the conveyor is such that a gauged article maybecarried from the gauging station to the bumper $6 and be pushed off of the belt laterally before the gauging operation takes place on the next article supplied to the gauging station. It willxbeunderstood that when one of the stops is depressed, stop 28 being so illustrated, it will stop the article duringthe continued forward movement of the conveyor belt, and at the proper time a push-bar 38,-see Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5, will be moved in aacounterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 4 andinto the position shownin that figure to push the-article-up over the guide rail 35 so that it may roll .:down. the gradually inclined receiving trough 40 until it is stopped by the end rail M or until it -isstopped by another. article already against the rail M. Itwill be noted that the inclinaticnof the. trough 4c is quite gradual so that ea-gaugedpiston pin does not severely jar itself oranother gauged pin when it comes to rest. The-several receiving troughs are open at the top so the operator can pick off a groupof gauged pins before .thetrough is filled and can see from which station hetakes them in order to note their size. For-example, the piston pins in the trough portionv 40 maybe oversize rejects. Those in trough portionJlZ .may beundersize rejects. Those in trough portion: diimayhave a size between 1.001 inches and 1.002 inches. Those in trough portion 44 may haveasize between 1.000 and 1.001 inches. Those in trough .portion 45 may have a size between .999 and 1.000 inch, and those in trough portion 46.may have a size between .998 and -999 inch...

The conveyor, feeding means, gauging means and. the push barBS are timed together by drivingmechanism and cams as will now be described. A motor is is arranged in the lower portion of the frame It) and drivesa shaft '48 through a belt '50,

shaft .48 being connected in any suitable manner andthrough suitable speed reducing gearing to a transversely extending timing shaft i, see Figs. 1 and.3.. On this shaft is a feed cam 52 controlling a;roller 53 onan arm E i the upper end of which is connected .to the feed arm 56. A spring 55 an choredat oneend to a clip 56 on the feed. arm i8 and. at the other endto an anchorage ET on the frame serves to vyieldingly urge the feed arm in a clockwisedirection, as viewed in Fig. 3, and move the .arm when the cam permits so that the actual feed. impulse on the articles is by means ofv the spring .55 under the control of the cam The armfifl is pivotablymovable about a shaft 58. The feed arm 16 .instead of being rigidly connected to the-upper end of arm 54, i connected in such a manner that it can be manually moved with respect to the arm 54 in a direction transverse of its normal feeding movements so that during the setup operation of the apparatus it would be possible to retract an article from the gauging station merely by laterally swinging the upper end of the feed mechanism. The connection between the'feed arm is and the arm '55 comprise a pivot connection 59, a spring Eli, and a stop 6!, with the spring as holding the feed arm it against the stop. In normal operation the parts it and 54 operate as if they were rigidly connected together.

Arranged on the timing shaft 5! is a pulley wheel 63 driving a belt 6d which extends around pulley 65, see Figs. 3 and '7. A tensioning arm 66, pivoted on the shaft 58, has a tensioning roller 5! engaging the belt and holding it under the proper tension, the tensioning arm be being urged in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3, by means of a spring 68. The pulley 55, which is driven .by the belt is fixed to the conveyor driving pulley BQiand serves to drive the belt in timed relation with the rotation of the timing shaft 5| so that the belt will travel through all of the selecting stations in the interval between the time it receives an article from the gauging station and the time of the next succeeding gauging operation. Below the belt, and preferably spaced. only a small fractional part of an inch from the belt, is a belt supporting frame H! which preventsthe belt from sagging when it is carrying an article. The belt is returned over a return pulley TH carried by the frame structure.

The feed cam 52 is provided with timing cams l3 and i l. Timing cam '13 controls an arm 73' which operates a normally open gauging switch '55. A'normally closed holding switch H3 is controlled by an arm 14' operated in turn by cam 14. The gauging switch is adapted to be temporarily closed by cam it after an article is supplied to the gauging station and then before that switch opens again holding circuits are completed by opening the normally closed switch it to maintain the condition of the various gauging circuits.

The main timing shaft 5!, as shown in Fig. 4, is connected through'suitable drive mechanism in a' housing lBwith an auxiliary timing shaft 19 driving an ejection cam engaged by a roller 81 on 'a bar Ti connected to the push bar 38. Actually there-are two of these bars H, as shown in Fig. 3, connected together by a tie bar 82 at their lower ends where they are pi'votably supported. The upper ends of the bars "ii are connected to the push bar '38. The push'bar 38 is thus moved laterally at'the proper time in the sequence of operation after a sufiicient time has elapsed for the article to travel all the way down to the bumper it after leaving the gauging station. Regardless of where the articles might have been stopped by the several stops 24 to 28, or stopped by the bumper 35, the push bar 38 will act to move the articles from the belt conveyor 35 and over the top of the guide rail 39 that extends along the side of the belt and acts a a retainer to keep the article on the belt during its forward travel. A similar retaining projection 39' extends along the other side of the belt as shown in Fig. 4. The push bar 38 is provided with fingers or projections 85 adapted for contact with opposite ends of the piston pin and serve to keep the piston pin axis parallel to itself as it moves fromthe belt and down the inclined guideway in the selected position. The several stations of the guideway are defined and separated from one another by means of retaining bars 81, see Figs. 2 and 4. It'should also be noted that the cam 80 properly times the operation of the feed bar but the actual movement of the feed bar towards pushofi position is accomplished by a spring 08, see Fig. 4, connected to one of the bars I! as indicated at 89. If by any chance an article should not be exactly in line with one of the selecting troughs, or if there should be an obstruction to the articles at the time the feed bar operates, the spring 88 may yield without injury to the part.

The sequence of operation will be explained in so far as the electrical circuits are concerned in reference to Fig. 8. In this figure the coils or relays which operate switches are designated by numbers, and the switches they control are designated by the same reference numeral followed by a sufiix letter. In this figure the parts are shown in their normal deenergized condition. I5 designates the normally open cam operated switch which when closed by the cam '73 initiates a gauging operation. Shortly before this switch closes, the normally closed cam operated switch I6 is opened to drop out the holding operation from a previous cycle. After the gauging switch I5 closes and conditions the various gauging circuits the holding switch I is closed again by cam 14 which permits arm 'i l'to drop and the circuits are held until shortly before a succeeding gauging operation is initiated. The proper circuits are held during the time the gauged piston pin leaves the gauging station and travel along through the several selecting stations and is pushed off the belt conveyor when it reaches the proper selecting station.

Current is supplied from a suitable source through the power switch 9| to a transformer 92 to energize the leads 03 and 94. The power switch 9| is also connected through switches 95a to the motor 48. The switches 9511 are normally open but are closed when a relay coil 90 is energized by closing the start switch 90. Coil 95, when energized, closes the switch 951) and current flows through switch 951) and normally closed stop switch 91, and maintains the energization of coil 95 so that the start switch can then be released. Manually operable switches 08 and 99 are closed by the operator. These switches are provided for setup purposes and stay closed during automatic gauging operation.

The motor being in operation, a piston pin is applied to the gauging station by the feed bar and during the retracting movements of the feed bar, the cam operated switch I5 closes to initiate a gauging cycle. This switch thus energizes a coil I00 which closes switches I00a, I001),

I000, IBM and I00e. Before the gauging switch opens again the cam operated switch I6 closes, as previously mentioned and circuits are held, as follows. Closed switch I6 energizes coil I0! and thus closes the normally open switches mm and IOIb. Assume now that the part is an undersize reject. Such a part travels down to the bumper and is not stopped by any of the stops 24 to 28 respectively and none of the relays 29 to 33 are energized. An undersize reject will not cause any of the normally open undersize switches of the several switch heads toclose. These undersize switches of the three gauge heads 20, 2| and 22 are shown in Fig. 8 at a, Zla and 22a. The corresponding oversize switches controlled by the several gauging heads are indicated at 201), 2Ib and 221). With all of the switches 20a, 2la and 22a open, no current will flow through the coil I02, and switch I020 remains open preventing any of the circuits of the solenoids 20 to 33 being energized. The part will thus not be stopped until it reaches the bumper at the end of the line of travel. Since coil I02 is deenergized, switch [02d remains open. This switch is a holding switch that would complete a holding circuit for coil I02 if that coil were energized, from line 90, coil I02, switch I02d, line H3, switch IOIa. and switch I6 to line 93.

Suppose now that the part is an oversize reject. It is stopped by energizing relay 33 and moving the stop 38 downwardly. This solenoid 33 is energized through the line 94, switches IOEa,

"381;, [0911, I0Ia, I020, Hill), 99 t0 the line 9-3.

Swith I060. remains closed since its controlling coil I06 is not energized because switch 201) is now open. This switch is only closed when the part is under the size for which it is set to operate. Similarly switches 2Ib and 22b are open and the coil I00 is not energized so that switch I08a remains closed. Switches I00a and I 01a are closed by energization of coils I00 and I0! since the switches 22a and 2Ia are closed due to the part being oversize. Switch I020 at this time is closed since the switch 20a is closed and switch IOIb is closed since the cam operated switch 10 is closed during the holding operation.

If the part has a size that would place it in the range, in the particular example chosen for illustration, of 1.001 inches to 1.002 inches it would be stopped by stop 21 depressed by energizing solenoid 32. Under these conditions switch I061) is closed by energizing coil I06 through the closed switch 201) which only opens when the part is greater than 1.002 inches in diameter. Switch I 08a remains closed, switch 2 lb bein new open since the part is greater than 1.001 inches in diameter. Switches 2 Ia and 22a being closed, coils I01 and I09 are energized and switches IBM and I09a are closed, switch I020 being closed due to the fact that switch 20a is closed. Switch IOIb is closed since coil MI is energized so it will be seen that a circuit is completed from the line 93 through the switches IOIb, I020, I0'Ia. I09c, WM, and I001) through the solenoid 32. Solenoids 3|, 30 and 20 are not energized sinc switches I081), I001) and I0'Ib are open.

Solenoid 3| is energized when switches I082). I09a, Illla, I020 and IBM) are closed. This condition exists when coil I08 is energized by closed switch 2 lb, coil I00 being energized by closed switch 22a and coil 101 being energized by closed switch 2 Ia with coil I02 being energized by closed switch 20a.

' Solenoid 30 will be energized when switch I091) stays closed, due to deenergization of coil I09,

by opening switch 22a. Switch Iflla will be closed since switch 2Ia is closed and relay coil I0! is energized. Switch I020 will be closed and switch IOIb will be closed as previously described.

Solenoid 20 will be energized when the switch I0'Ib stays closed, due to deenergization of coil I07, by opening switch Zia. Switch I0Ia at this time is open so that no current flows to the other solenoids 30 and 33.

Reference numerals I03, I10, III, H2 and H3 designate lamps controlled respectively by switches I02a, I080, I010, I000, and l09c, used in setting up the apparatus for any desired size range of selection.

Switch I020Z, as previously mentioned, is a holding switch for coil I02, and in a similar manner holding switches I000Z, I0'Id, IBM and I09d are provided for the coils I06, I01, I00 and I09 respectively.

It will be understood that while certain sizes havefbeena mentioned in this descriptionand the apparatus has-been described as adaptedtfor the selection of theparts in'four different accept- .able size ranges, one oversize reject, and one undersizereject, the apparatus may be constructed to." provide as many diiferent selections as desired by providing the requisite-number of pressure controlled switches with each switch arranged toselect within a desired size range; In the particular form illustrated, the normally closed oversize switch 221) of thegauging head 22 is not effective.

During-the gauging cycle and as soon as the holding switch 15 is closed, the several circuits as-previously described are completed and are held after-the workpiece leaves the gauging station the holding switch 15 opening. again to deenergize the coil I01 temporarily just-before-the next gauging cycle takes place. The circuits are thus maintained during the time the article gauged is being pushed out'of the gauging station and is moved along on the conveyor-unti1 it is stopped by the selecting stop or until it meets the bumper in its forward line of travel. After sufficient time for the workpiece to reach the bumper if none of the stops are projected, then-the push off bar moves to eject the part from the conveyor.

It will be .now apparent that the apparatus is capable of very accurately gauging the parts supplied to the gauging station automatically one after thelother and that the rate of the gauging operation may be very rapid so that a large number of parts may be handled at any given time.

Following "thegauging operation the parts are carried resting on the conveyor so that they may bestoppedat the-proper location opposite the proper, inclined trough although this does not require stopping the conveyor itself, which continues to :move. effective transporting device. Having reached a selected station by the projection of :the proper stop, the gauged part at the proper time in the cycle' of operation is moved laterally from the conveyor while maintaining'its axes parallel o itself so it can roll down the proper trough. In so moving, the part does not drop or slam against another part, the inclined troughs arranging the parts with their axes parallel and in a .very

convenient position sothat the operator can'most readily pick up a number of parts from any solecting station and place them in the proper receptacle knowing that each part in the group he takes .from any one selecting station'is within the tolerance for which that particular station has been set up.

While-the formof apparatus hereindescribed constitutes a preferred embodiment of .the'invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise form of apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. Gauging apparatus comprising a gauging station having an article gauging means, feeding means for supplying articles one at a time t the gauging station, a conveyor belt for receiving articles pushed from the gauging station by a supplied article, means for driving the conveyor continuously, a series of selecting stations se tively operable by said gauging means for stopping the travel of the-article during the continued travel of the conveyorretainingmeans extending This afiords a very simple but;

ing means operable in timed relation with the feeding means and movable laterally of the line of advance of the articles on the belt for pushing the'articles 01f the upper side of the conveying portion 'of the belt and past said retaining means, and :tracks 1 having a gradual downward incline from said conveyor-along which the articles can travel :by gravity;

2. Gauging. apparatus comprising -a gauging station having gauging means responsive to a dimension of an article, feeding means for supplying articles to the gauging station, drivemeans for moving said feeding means step by step, a conveyor for receiving articles from the gauging station and transporting the articles thereupon through a series of selecting stations, means for driving said conveyor to carry an article from the gauging station through the selecting stations during the time required between successive steps-oi said feeding means, stop means at the selecting stations selectively operable by. said gaugingmeans into the path of movement of the articles to stop the travel of an article on the conveyor during the continued travel of the conveyor, apush bar extending along the several selecting stations,and driving means for driving said bar to remove the articles from the conveyor at the station selected by the stop means, means for operating said driving means in timed relation to the feeding means, said driving means including a cam for withdrawing the bar and a spring means opposing the cam and operable to impositively move the bar to article removing position.

3. Gauging apparatus comprising a gauging station, having a generally cylindrical cavity to which cylindrical articles maybe supplied one at a time, feeding means for supplying articles step by step into said cavity, a conveyor belt extending substantially horizontally from the lower side of said cavity for receiving thereupon articles pushed from the cavity by another article supplied to the cavity, a series of selecting stations along the length of said belt, stop means at the selecting stations operable into the path of movement of the articles, switch means for controlling said stop means, gauging means at the gauging station for selectively controlling said switch means, a push bar for pushing the atricles from the'conveyor at the station selected by the stop means, and means for operating said push bar in timed relation to the feeding means.

4.- Gauging apparatus comprising a gauging station, gauging means at the gauging station responsive to a dimension of an article, a conveyor for receiving articles from the gauging station and transporting the gauged articles thereupon, means for driving the conveyor continuously at a predetermined speed, a series of selecting stations in the path of travel of the gauged articles, a common pushing means common to all said selecting stations for pushing an article from the conveyor at any of said stations, means synchronizing the operation of said pushing means with time of supply of the gauged article to the conveyor, and a series f selecting means one at each selecting station selectively responsive to the operation of the gauging means for automatically stopping an article at a selected selecting station during the continued travel of the conveyor.

5. Gauging apparatus comprising a gauging station having gauging means, a conveyor belt for receiving articles from the gauging station and transporting the gauged articles on the uppermost surfacethereof, means for driving the con- 9 veyor continuously at a predetermined speed, a series of selecting stations along the path of travel of the gauged articles, timing means operably connected to said gauging means and said drive means for moving the conveying surface through all the selecting stations in the interval between successive operations of the gauging means, removing means for removing the articles from the conveyor, means synchronizing the operation of said removing means with the time of supply of the gauged article to the conveyor, a series of selecting means including positive stop means, one at each selecting station, means supporting said positive stop means for movement into and out of the path of travel of the article, means connecting said series of selecting means to the gauging means for selective control thereby for automatically stopping an article on the moving conveyor belt surface and at a selected 10 selecting station during the continued travel of the conveyor.

WILLIS FAY ALLER. ANTHONY J. PAGE.

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